1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of compression refrigeration and air conditioning. Specifically, the present invention relates to a composition comprising refrigerant and tracer compound(s). Additionally, the present invention relates to a method for the identification of refrigerant gases after leaving the custody of the original manufacturer and the verification of refrigerant authenticity. The aforementioned method provides for the detection of tracer compounds, which in turn, may alert the refrigeration industry to the occurrence of dilution, adulteration, contamination or other unauthorized modification of refrigeration products.
2. Description of Related Art
Environmental concerns have led the refrigeration industry to high levels of consciousness around the responsible use of refrigerants. The refrigeration industry, as well as the society at large, benefits when everyone who manufactures, distributes, uses refrigerants, or services refrigeration and air conditioning equipment uses all applicable measures to keep equipment operating at the highest achievable level of energy efficiency. This reduces the amount of energy consumed by the equipment. Higher than necessary energy consumption, as well as leakage of refrigerants, can contribute to unnecessary pollution of our atmosphere and waste of existing resources. This unnecessary waste also comes at a cost to the consumer for replacement of leaked refrigerant.
In response to environmental concerns, manufacturers of refrigerants have developed new refrigerant products that allow higher levels of energy efficiency when used in properly designed equipment. The new generation HFC refrigerants have less impact on the environment than older generation chlorinated refrigerants in the event that they inadvertently leak into the atmosphere. The HFC refrigerants have zero ozone depletion potential, and in general have less tropospheric climate change potential than the refrigerants they replace. In addition, industry practices now mandate the elimination of leaks from most types of operating equipment, and require that refrigerant gas be recovered from equipment when that equipment is taken out of service or is opened to allow service work to be performed.
While the new high efficiency refrigerants and new responsible use policies are benefiting the environment, the benefit is not as great as it could be. In some instances, the recovered refrigerant gases are not properly reclaimed or recycled. The recovered refrigerant may be re-installed back into other pieces of equipment without being properly reclaimed and cleaned to remove any harmful or energy efficiency reducing impurities which may have been introduced in handling or as a result of poorly performing or damaged equipment. The equipment into which this refrigerant is introduced will then not operate at peak efficiency, and will consume more energy than necessary.
In addition, used refrigerant can be blended with virgin refrigerant, which generally results in a non-standard refrigerant gas composition.
Similarly, used refrigerant can be re-packaged and sold as virgin refrigerant, without certification of purity and quality. These practices may result in increased atmospheric pollution and increased energy use, and places expensive refrigeration hardware at risk of being damaged.
In addition to negative environmental and equipment impact, there are economic losses to the refrigerant manufacturers and distributors. Refrigerant manufacturers make significant investments into the development of the quality new refrigerants products. Refrigerant distributors similarly have invested in equipment for the proper protection of refrigerants from contamination during packaging, storage, and distribution of refrigerants When refrigerants are diluted or blended with recovered refrigerants, and sold as virgin refrigerant, manufacturers and distributors do not receive the benefit of their investment.
For the foregoing reasons, there has been a need for the ability to positively determine when a refrigerant composition is diluted or altered in any way, in a manner that does not compromise performance or the product properties to any measurable extent.
The present invention addresses this need by providing a highly secure way to label virgin refrigerant product.